Xperia Play will improve Android gaming for all

It’s all go at the end of the month, with the Nintendo 3DS, iPad 2 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play all released within the space of a week. Exciting stuff.

Alongside a host of PSOne Classics, the PlayStation Phone will boast enhanced versions of existing Android games. But David Hilton, Sony Ericsson’s UK & Ireland Marketing Director, reckons the Xperia Play will bring benefits to all Android gamers, not just those who side with the PlayStation Phone.

Speaking to Tech Radar, Davey explains: "It's a means to an end for us, but improving the quality of Android gaming as a whole is definitely a part of what we're doing.

"We've worked very closely with Google and Android to make Android the best mobile gaming platform and really go beyond the competition.

"As well as working with games developers directly, we've also formed key partnerships to enhance the whole gaming ecosystem – most notably with Unity, a developer pool that helps devs get their games on to every platform.

"We've also made Havok gameplay technology available to Android developers to improve gameplay graphics, so while it's all optimised for Xperia Play, other devices will see the benefits."

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play finally sees the light of day on 31 March. It’ll ship with six pre-loaded titles. They are: FIFA 10, The Sims 3, Bruce Lee Dragon Warriors, Tetris, Star Battalion and PlayStation One Classic Crash Bandicoot. A further 50 titles will be available from the PlayStation Suite, as well as the usual Android Market stuff.